Tree Service Canada Magazine Issue #28 Spring 2014

Volume 8 Issue 1 Early Spring 2014 $5.00

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T H E V O I C E O F C A N A D A ' S T R E E S E R V I C E S I N D U S T R Y

NEWS BR IEFS

COMMENTARY

Enter on page 12

INSIDEProfile: Jim McCready: a true professional of arboriculture ....5

The genesis of Chatham-Kent Tree care ..................................9

Techniques: Balancing .......................................................... 10www.banditchippers.com

continued on page 7

EXTREMES

Ice storm brought more work but far from ideal working conditions

B y S H I R L E Y BY E R S

The ice storm that lashed Eastern Canada and the Maritimes two days before Christmas left more than 12,000 Nova Scotia Power customers in the dark. In New Brunswick, nearly 45,000 customers were without electricity. Ice laden trees falling onto power

lines were responsible for a significant chunk of the outages. Parts of Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley were among the hardest hit. At Kingston, Joey Peters and David Schofield own Atlantic Arborists Ltd. Cleanup and power restoration spanned the end of December and the beginning of January. “We do a lot of work for the power company,” said Peters. “We worked all over the holiday break. The first few days weren’t too bad; then it seemed to get worse. We had more freezing rain on top of what had already come on Sunday and it made things worse.”

Lessons from the weather

key points to running

a successful tree service company

Quality work, professionalism will help the bottom line

BY C H R I S TO P H E R KO VAC H

I had the privilege when I first got into the arboriculture industry to work for a special company. It was special because the owner was not just an excellent arborist, but also an excellent businessman. I want to share some of the things I learned from this man about running a successful business. I want to focus on this because I have since moved on and in my current role with a utility company, I see many contractors struggling with making sure that their businesses are profitable. Hopefully, this can be of some help.

10. Only do great workThe reality is that good work doesn’t stand out but great work does. It sells itself. The same will apply to companies that do great work; they stand out. Customers seek companies that stand out.

If you aren’t 100 per cent certain about what constitutes great work — find out. Take classes, read journals, go to industry training events, talk to other good companies, watch what they are doing and emulate it.

10

continued on page 3

For crews from Atlantic Arborists Ltd. storm cleanup and power restoration spanned the end of December and the beginning of January.

Research counters assumptions about the relationship between age and growth

A study with the U.S. Geological Survey turns our current knowledge and understanding about tree growth roots upside down as people tend to think of trees in human terms. The story was carried by CBC and a number of nature publications including the Smithsonian Magazine.

The group of scientists led by Nate L. Stephenson looked at 403 tree species and discovered 97 per cent of them increase growth rates as time progresses or after what we think of as adolescence, instead of slowing, as might be expected. In fact, a single mature tree can sequester more carbon in one year than a mid-sized tree holds in total. For more information: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature12914.html

Another reason to save mature trees

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COVE R

Work days were longer than usual and roads were difficult to treach-erous. There were times when the crew had to pull over and wait for the roads to be salted. Tree work conditions can be more hazardous at such times, Peters said. Trees are bent over with ice; there’s more pressure and weight. “You have to read the tension and be prepared and be in the right position.” They made sure the rookies were teamed with more experienced workers and did what needed to be done. Still, “It’s kind of a shame to see trees you’ve pruned or worked on all smashed up,” Peters said. They were thankful when a big thaw, rain and a warm spell after New Year’s gave them the opportunity to do a complete clean-up. “For us, I wouldn’t say it’s normal, but I guess we just kind of expect it,” Peters said. “This year there’s a little more of it. It’s just part of our work.” Three hours west of Toronto at Chatham, Phil Himes at Chatham Tree Services Ltd. said they didn’t get the ice storm. “But we certainly are getting the extreme cold. We broke some records going back to the late 1800s. Minus 25 degrees Celsius isn’t typical for the southern tip of Ontario. People are still calling, we still have some work booked but it’s a little too cool to be outside. We’ll wait until it warms up a little bit.”

Sixty feet in the air is a lot colder than on the ground, he pointed out. It’s difficult to find gloves that will keep hands warm and still allow for needed dexterity. In certain species, smaller branches can be more brittle in cold weather. Snow and ice on limbs are an extra hazard. A branch loaded with snow or especially ice is going to break faster, something that must be taken into consideration. “You just have to be patient,” said Himes. “We’re not in a situation like Toronto, under the gun to work every day. We can wait till we get some weather that’s tolerable. We know those days are coming. We wait and work on those days. There’s no use stressing your guys, getting them sick and demoralized out there in minus 20 degree weather.” At Granton, near London Craig Ingram of Lanktree Tree Services says that although his immediate area wasn’t affected by the ice storms, there was some spillover, some extra work from surrounding areas that were harder hit. “One of the biggest problems is anybody who has a chain saw is going out and doing work. And I can’t compete with some-one with a pickup and a chainsaw charging 20 or 25 dollars an hour.” Nevertheless he did garner some extra work and if he’d been better equipped he says, he could have gotten more. Toronto has hired a lot of crews. “Any business with a chip truck and chipper can get their crews work now where traditionally they would have been laid off.” As a start-up business, still building his reputation, he expects to get calls and more work from people he worked for during the storm. “I’ve got three jobs lined up for next week but it’s brutally cold here and it’s very hard on equipment and people.” Tim Lott of Tim’s Tree Care at Stratford, Ontario said his immedi-ate area wasn’t particularly affected by the ice storm but he’s been called him to help out in Kitchener and he’s had more work around town too. The extra work has been a mixed blessing. Normally at this time of year he does maintenance on his equipment, splits firewood and builds outdoor furniture to sell. “This year I haven’t had time,” he says. “I haven’t even touched the firewood. If I don’t get it done soon, it won’t have time to dry and cure. It (more work) is good for the pocketbook but it messes you up in a bunch of ways.”

“Any business with a chip truck

and chipper can get their crews

work now where traditionally they

would have been laid off.”

Lessons from the weathercontinued from cover

BY S H I R L E Y BY E R S

he second Women in Arboriculture conference Focussing Passion, Policies and Planning on Trees will take place

March 5-7 at Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa at Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Suzanne Simard will be the keynote speaker, heading up a full slate of leaders in the industry.

Simard is a professor of forest ecology in the Department of Forest and Conserva-tion Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on natural and anthropogenic (caused or produced by humans) disturbance and climate change effects on forest ecosystems. She special-izes in examining feedbacks between plants particularly through mycorrhizal fungi and has shown how plants/trees communicate with each other and can even send nutrients to one of their species in distress.

Other speakers include social scientist Dr. Kathleen Wolf; landscape architect, Nancy McLean; arborist, Sara Shores; lawyer, Sasha Nowicki; and environmental planner, Nancy Hofer

“We are very excited about the level of enthusiasm we have received from speak-ers, sponsors and attendees for this unique conference,” said Verna Mumby, founder of Women’s Arboriculture Conferences and president of Mumby’s Arboriculture Consulting. “We look forward to bring-ing together the many women leaders in arboriculture-related professions for a substantive discussion of real-world solu-tions to key issues facing the arboriculture professions today.

“The speakers at the Women’s Arboricul-ture conference represent many important

facets of arboriculture — industry, govern-ment, education, law, human mental health care and service providers,” said Mumby, “We feel that it’s important that all these voices are heard as we work toward our common goal of addressing trees, their place in our world and our relationship with them, and by doing so, problem-solving tree-related issues by integrating profes-sional approaches.”

Sponsors for the conference include Mumby’s Arboriculture Consulting, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Canadian TREE Fund and TD Friends of the Envi-ronment Foundation.

And, “Yes,” said Mumby, “men absolutely can attend.”

CONFERENCES

Women in arboricultureSecond conference features keynote on plant-to-plant communications systems

Speakers at the upcoming Women’s Arboriculture conference include: (left to right) City of Surrey arborist Carolina Arango; lawyer Sasha Nowicki, and UBC forest ecologist Suzanne Simard.

The speakers at the

Women’s Arboriculture

conference represent

many important facets of

arboriculture — industry,

government, education,

law, human mental health

care and service providers.

T


NEWS BRIEFS

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LOOPHOLES

Is it a forest or is it a unique tree?Aurora seeks to close gap in bylawsSeveral years ago a complaint was received in Aurora, Ontario, about a golf course that cleared trees to increase the sunlight to their club house.

It was quickly discovered golf courses were not covered in the local tree bylaw. Council decided the situation had to change.

Aurora is in York Region and in this area York manages forest cover; the town manages sentinel trees. This means an individual property may fall under both managements if it has both forest cover and individual trees as in this case.

In the specific complaint, as the trees that fell were technically “forest”, the situation was managed by York and the clearing received a permit and was legal.

Ian Buchanan, manager of Natural Heritage and Forestry said, “We manage good forest practices. New trees were planted in other areas of the golf course. Good forestry means trees are cut appropriately.”

Now both Aurora and York are happy with the specific golf course situation.However, neither liked the idea that there was a hole in the bylaws and both did a rewrite.The new proposal coming before Aurora council this winter includes: golf courses should be included,

park staff should handle permits for tree removal, and the number of large trees allowed to be cut could be determined by the size of the property and not the calendar year, as it was in the past.

York completed the tweaking of their bylaw in the fall of 2013 in order to ensure the various regional tree legislations work together. “We are a model for other jurisdictions. We have a strong track record. Others have used our bylaw to develop their own. We have a couple of high level prosecutions each year and we have never lost a case. Promotion and education are strong components of our system,” said Buchanan.

“We are serious about forest cover. We have tightened the wording and harmonized our interests.”


Not long after a major ice storm hammered Eastern Ontario, in 1998, government funding became available to help communities repair extensive damage to trees. But, as Jim McCready recalls, there was an obstacle for some of the smaller communities. They didn’t have the expertise to put together plans and apply for funding. So, McCready assisted these communities by doing the inventories and preparing the applications. The money to care for the urban canopies eventually came to the three small town communities he took under his wing.

“One of the communities was my hometown of Carleton Place,” says McCready. “It received more than $180,000 to trim, remove and plant trees to replace those that were lost. As a result of the trimming, far less was spent on future cleanup after major storms. Today, recommendations are still being given to Public Works to conduct trimming on various trees in town. There’s also an understanding that when a tree is removed, it must be replaced.”

Those who know him best say this is quintessential Jim McCready, an under-the-radar type of guy who gives an extraordinary amount to people and trees. He may be retired following 28 years with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, but McCready is still a registered professional forester and ISA certified arborist who shapes the landscape of Eastern Ontario through his many volunteer efforts. In Carleton Place, McCready is known as the “Town Arborist.”

“I call it ‘small-town Ontario’ where these communities don’t have the trained staff in arboriculture nor the funds to hire anyone,” McCready explains. “As a result, it falls on dedicated volunteers like me with the background to make sure the trees are properly cared for. I am qualified so I can contribute to the community when they ask for help.”

McCready also offers expertise with his company, McCready Tree & Forestry Consulting. For the past six years, he’s been program forester with Tree Canada, looking after their operations and tree planting projects across the country.

“The passion for me is working with groups and individual homeowners who have a love of trees, but don’t know

enough about dendrology and arboriculture,” McCready says. “I help fill the lack of knowledge they are looking for.”

McCready’s interest in urban forestry began in the early 1970s as a student at the University of Toronto. He was enrolled in a “Faculty of Forestry” class, which offered more than just traditional logging and silviculture courses.

“At the time, Dr. Eric Jorgensen — a man who defined the term ‘urban forestry’ — was teaching classes at the university,” McCready recalls. “So over the four years, I took full advantage of what Eric Jorgensen offered. I was extremely interested in the management of individual trees and parks in the urban setting. Jorgensen’s classes were well-attended. He engaged us with the concept later called Urban Forestry.”

When McCready, then with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, moved to Carleton Place as Forest Management Supervisor, the job returned him to his interest in urban forestry working in the urban and rural landscapes of Eastern Ontario. Today, he continues to move the cause ahead within Ontario and the Ontario Professional Foresters Association. McCready is the president of the Eastern Ontario Model Forest and also chair of the Regional Forest Health Network, a committee of agencies and partners promoting a sustainable forest while trying to control invasive pest species. Predictably, emerald ash borer has been at the top of their agenda for the past five years.

“With EAB in Ottawa, we came up with an urban messaging

strategy for other towns and cities in our area,” McCready explains. “With help from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Eastern Ontario Model Forest, we’ve developed messaging for rural landowners on how to manage their woodlots. We’ll include other invasive plants and insects as EAB becomes more established in a wider area.”

Through continuing education and as a steadfast volunteer, McCready wants to ensure that anyone interested can learn more about trees. Even late in his career, McCready pursued his ISA Certification as an example to others that the achievement is well worth the effort.

“Small town Ontario is not aware of urban forestry or sound

arboriculture practices. ISA’s message — the promotion of good arboriculture practices for urban trees and urban forestry across the landscape — is well known in the larger cities with forestry departments. No matter what the size of the community, we need to take time to guide small town communities in the right direction.”

PROFILE

The town arboristJim McCready: a true professional of arboriculture

In his hometown of Carleton Place, ON, Jim McCready is known as the “Town Arborist.” Although retired, he is still an active registered professional forester and ISA certified arborist.

Jim McCready demonstrates proper tree planting technique to IKEA employees.


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9. Only do safe workThere are lots of good, ethical reasons to do safe work, but from a strict business perspective the fact is that safe companies create fewer problems for their customers. They make their customers look good (particularly, companies, municipalities and utilities). These types of organizations are often heavily scrutinized by regulatory bodies because they are easy targets with deep pockets.

8. Price carefullyKnow what to charge to cover your costs. Always charge at least this, but know when to charge more. You need to make more sometimes to cover those jobs you lose money on, or those jobs you have to take to keep your crews working. It takes practice to be able to identify those situations when there is the opportunity to charge more, but you need to have this idea in the back of your head when negotiating cost. Also be very wary of competing with other companies on cost. This is a race to the bottom. If you do this, you will win the bottom.

7. Look professionalCustomers want to work with arborists that look professional. They have uniforms, they don’t smoke on the job, their equipment is clean and newer, they don’t swear or spit, they shake hands and introduce themselves. If pop cans fall out of your truck when you get to a job, or your crew is putting out cigarettes on your customer’s property it will cost you work.

6. Anticipate your customers’ problems

Your customers often have concerns that they don’t tell you about. They don’t tell you because they assume it’s obvious to you, even if it isn’t. They are wrapped up in their own deadlines, their own politics, their own budgets. It is your job to try to anticipate what these are and solve them for them. I know this seems impossible but it isn’t. Ask questions, write things down; ask yourself what you would be concerned about if you were the customer.

Conversely, don’t let your problems become your customer’s problems! If your chipper breaks it is your problem. If your employee calls in sick, it is your problem. If you break their gutter, it is your problem. When you have to tell your customer about a problem (because it is going to affect them), be sure to let them know how and when you are going to solve it, and then do it.

5. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket

Cultivate a diverse customer base. There are many aspects of arboriculture that present good business opportunities. Start asking

yourself, “What else could we be doing, and how can we get into it?” Some of these opportunities include: tree risk assess-ments, arboricultural consulting, integrated pest management, tree management plans, tree inventories, tree planting, tree support systems, transplanting, watering programs, fertilizing programs, etc. The way to get into these fields is to first train yourself. Start looking for opportunities to sell these services to your customers. Then, and only then, purchase the necessary equipment. Companies that do work only for util-ity companies are particularly vulnerable to “putting all their eggs in one basket.” Things, that you have no control over, can change within the utility company. This can have catastrophic consequences for your business if that company is your only customer.

4. TeachTeach both your employees and your cus-tomers. Come up with a plan for how you can train your employees, what you are going to teach them and when you are go-ing to do it. It doesn’t have to be formal or long, in fact, short with a demonstration is best of all. It is even okay to teach them about things you might not be doing yet. It motivates and creates a culture of sharing within the company.

Teaching your customers is a way of selling your services, and more importantly it shows them that you care about trees. Opportunities to teach your customers include nursery events, local garden club meetings, and Arbor Day celebrations. Most importantly, providing quotes will have the added benefit of increasing sales.

3. Give your employees a future

I believe that great employees are orga-nized, conscientious, hardworking and for-ward thinking. They will apply these traits to your business, but they will also apply them to themselves and their own careers. They need to see a path or a potential for a path to develop as arborists within your organization. There needs to be a clear vi-sion for growth and what will be required of them to make this vision come true. You, as the owner, need to provide these oppor-tunities and help them develop the skills they will need to be successful in these new roles.

Great employees are also worried about their retirement and benefits, particularly as they approach middle age and/or start families. If you can’t provide some guaran-tee that these needs can be met, they will leave for greener pastures.

2. Keep your promisesIf you say you are going to do something — do it. Don’t say you will do it if you aren’t 100 per cent positive you can. If you still mess up and fail to follow through on a promise apologize right away, explain why you couldn’t do it and explain how you will make amends. Don’t wait to follow up. Employees and customers are particularly sensitive about promises, often unreason-ably so. What might not have seemed

like a big deal to you might be a reason to leave for an employee. The same is true for customers. If you fail to keep a promise to a customer, it might be a good enough reason for them to switch to your competition.

1. Care about treesIf you don’t care about trees don’t be an arborist or run an arboricultural company. Find your passion and do something else. If you don’t care about trees, how can you expect your employees or customers to? If your employees don’t care about trees they can’t do great work and they can’t be mo-tivated about coming to work. This has the greatest trickle-down effect of everything I have discussed so far.

I believe that for truly satisfying work, people need to have a sense that they are contributing to society, that they are mak-ing the world a better place. This will be a test of your leadership skills. Great business leaders are able inspire their employees in a way that is bigger than just getting the job done. Caring about trees is one great way to give them this leadership.

Christopher Kovach works in Quesnel, B.C., as a Vegetation Maintenance Coordinator for BC Hydro. His job is to manage vegetation around power lines in the communities of Quesnel, Prince George and Valemount. He came to BC Hydro in 2011 from BC Plant Health Care, a lower mainland based tree care company, where he learned what it means to be an arborist.

10 key points to running a successful tree service company continued from cover

Christopher Kovach

There are many aspects of arboriculture that present good business opportunities.

Start asking yourself, “What else could we be doing, and how can we get into it?”


BY S H I R L E Y BY E R S

Lana might not have been the life of the party but she always had a good story to tell, big plans she was eager to share. Her eyes would sparkle; her hands would fly as she described her latest project. Maybe it was a clever invention or it might be a cool new business she was about to launch. She was so animated, so engaged, people would think, “Wow! What a great idea. I can’t wait to see that happen!” But it never did. None of it ever did. And yet, Lana was an intelligent and personable professional. Clearly, she knew what she wanted and she had the smarts to go out and get it. Why was it that she couldn’t seem to attain her goals? A study at New York University might provide the answer. In 2009 Peter Gollwitzer conducted research which showed “. . . that when other people take notice of an individual’s identity-related behavioral intention, this gives the individual a premature sense of possessing the aspired-to-identity.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19389130 In other words, once you tell someone your goal or goals, be it committing to doing your share of the housework or starting your own tree service business, in your mind, it’s like it already happened. In your mind, you already possess the identity of the person who does his/her share of the housework or who has started

his/her own tree service business. If you already have it, why would you waste time in pursuing that goal? Wait a minute, some of you are saying, aren’t you get-ting this backwards? Isn’t telling someone else our goals a good thing? Doesn’t it motivate us to go after the goal? Well, lots of people think so. There’s a plethora of writers, speakers and bloggers who’ve built a platform on the principle that telling someone your goal could be transformative. “It could light your fire,” blogs Da-vid Delp at: http://pilotfire.com/11-ways-to-multiply-your-chance-of-success-by-sharing-it/ Besides, nobody wants to be one of those people who don’t do what they said they would do, do they? Even-tually, people want to know how the new project/busi-ness/plan for world domination is progressing. Logic would tell us that peer group pressure alone would ensure those announced goals were met. But, that’s not what Gollwitzer and his team found, and other research going back as far as 1926 has pro-duced similar results. In three separate experiments they tested the link between making goals public and actively working to achieve those goals. What they found, in every study, was that when participants had told someone else their goal, rather than increasing, their commitment was actually reduced. They put less effort into the tasks that would enable them to achieve their goals.

They tested 163 people. All were asked to write down a personal goal. Half were asked to announce their goal to the room; the other half were to keep their goal to themselves. All were given 45 minutes worth of work that would directly lead them towards their goal but were told they could stop any time. Those who had kept their goal to themselves worked the entire 45 minutes on average. When asked after-wards how they felt about their goal, they said they still had a long way to go to achieve it. On the other hand, those who had announced their goal to the room quit after an average of 33 minutes and said they felt much closer to achieving their goal. In their minds, it would seem the act of announcing their goal, of saying it out loud made it seem more real and made them feel they’d already made significant progress towards it. It made them less likely to pursue their goal with the same tenacity as the people who had kept their goal to themselves.

Any marketing effort is more effective when the business look and feel is consistent. Some call it branding. The intent is that when customers and potential customers see your logo and “look” they begin to recognize and remember it.

All of the communications you do to promote the company should have this consistent professional look whether they are Web based, brochures, mailers, doorhangers or whatever. A poor and unprofessional look that is continuously changing is the worst kind of marketing you can imagine.

Marketing and sales are often confused with one another. Marketing is how you present the company and its services to the potential customer; sales are the direct result of the marketing you do. Advertising is a method of marketing. There are many books and websites on the topics of marketing and advertising. I will attempt to summarize some of the key points.

Some say word of mouth is the best marketing you can do. It is true, however, you need to have satisfied customers to spread the good stories about your company. Most companies will supplement word of mouth marketing with some form of advertising. The benefit to paid advertising is that you control the message you want the customer to receive, whereas with word of mouth you do not have control.

Advertising takes many forms including newspaper ads, magazine ads, local info-commercials, radio and TV ads and direct mail. Experts tell us that consumers will start to recognize and remember the contents of an advertisiment after seeing it at least six times. Other forms of advertising are less obvious but include participating in the local Chamber of Commerce or other professional business organizations and networking at

local community functions and trade fairs.One very effective way to promote your business is to

demonstrate your expertise by providing helpful and timely articles about the services you provide. There is no end of potential articles to help home owners and commercial customers within the green industry.

An effective and user-friendly webite is a must these days. You can see many examples of good websites by searching within the industry you are working. Again, remember the “must” of having a consistent branding and theme throughout the site.

Local trade shows can produce a good number of qualified leads as you have the opportunity to talk to potential customers who in turn get to know you. There is nothing like the personal and human component of communicating with potential clients.

One of the better forms of advertising is clean, professional looking equipment and crews when working in the community. Many have experienced new contacts and sales as a result of just being in the community and leaving a good impression.

Establishing an ongoing communication with satisfied customers can produce significant results. This means you need to keep an accurate customer information data base. Appropriate offers can be made in a timely (seasonal) way to assure the customer that you are there to serve their needs.

Finally, one more point about advertising or for that matter any marketing effort: People like to deal with people. Any chance you have to put your picture on business cards, advertising materials, a website etc. — do it.

Understanding marketingOne of the better forms of advertising is clean, professional looking equipment and crews when working in the community.

Neil Thiessen is a semi-retired entrepreneur and the senior business partner at Able Business Con-sulting and GT Associates. He has over 30 years of experience working for large and small (start-up) businesses. Neil has been an owner of small and fast growing businesses that exposed many of the opportunities he seesfor today’s new entrepreneurs. His new book Gophers and Cheetahs was written to help small business entrepreneurs take their business to the next level. Neil ’s innovative and powerful Dia-mond Solution

STRATEGIES

The case for keeping quietAnnouncing your business goals could sabotage your success

Nobody wants to be one of those people who don’t do what they said they would do, do they?


BY J E F F R E Y C A R T E R

When the owner of Chatham-Kent Tree Care began his career in arboriculture it was simply a job — and not a particularly good paying job at that. “Back then, I was the $8 an hour guy; the you-have-no-say guy,” Greg Pilecki recalls. The Ontario arborist and his young bride, Anna, were living in Windsor, Ontario, at the time. Anna was employed at a big box store. Greg’s position at Landgraff Tree Service helped make ends meet. When Pilecki returned in his home town, the little community of Dresden, and was working at a truck manufacturing company, he became a self-described “weekend warrior,” trimming trees and taking on other jobs for residential customers. Then the factory job went south. “I was laid off. At that point I decided I needed to do something with my life but even then I didn’t know it would be as an arborist.”

Perhaps because of his experience in Windsor, Pilecki soon landed a job with Chatham Tree Service. The owner, Phil Hime, saw promise in his new recruit. Over the next four years Pilecki earned his certification and worked his way up to crew supervisor. He also maintained a business of his own as a sideline. That morphed into Chatham-Kent Tree Service three years ago. Pilecki remains on good terms with his old boss. There’s enough work for both companies — more than enough, in fact. Pilecki and his two employees work long days. When he gets home, his two young children are usually already asleep and there’s a pile of paperwork waiting. “I believe as an entrepreneur starting out on my own that you need formal education and ambition to succeed,” he says. Pilecki recently took a Landscape Ontario class related to team work and hiring the right kind of employees. “You can bring a B employee up to an A but you don’t want C employees because they just cost you money.”

He’s also taken some of the advice from his late father to heart. “If I didn’t have that, I don’t think I’d be doing half as well. My dad also said if you give back to the community, the community will give back to you.” Pilecki’s father was an advertising representative for a newspaper company. Pilecki does take out ads in local papers but he’s especially excited by the success of social media — his Facebook and Linked-In sites. He also uses billboards and signage at work sites. It’s the repetition that’s important, he said. When people see his company name in different places, they are far more likely to give him a call when they have a tree service need. Word of mouth is also important. He has employee uniforms and emphasizes customer satisfaction. The clean-up is just as important as the trimming and tree removal. A successful job begins by getting the quote right, he says. That can take two or three hours with plenty of interaction with the property owner when it’s a big job, like taking down large diameter trees using a subcontracted crane operator. “My motto for the business is: make a plan, work your plan or plan to fail.” Upon arriving at a job site, there’s a tailgate discussion concerning the work plan and any potential hazards. Included in the discussion are his employees and any contracted workers at the site. Good organization is also important to success. Pilecki said the message board in his shop is a tool that helps keep everyone on the same page. This winter Pilecki says he’ll by paying more attention to equipment maintenance. Pilecki started his Chatham-Kent Tree Care with a pickup, climbing gear, chainsaws and a single employee. Today he’s operating with a Ford-450 chip truck, a Ford-250 with a dump box, a chipper and a Haulotte BilJax man lift. With its light weight and narrow traveling profile, Pilecki said the lift will fit into most backyards and cause little, if any, damage to property. Looking to the future, Pilecki is looking to expand his business to include disease and insect treatment. At the same time he’s looking to increase his work staff and improve their skills to the point that he can spend more time with his young family.

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Pilecki’s BilJax man lift reaches to a working height of up to 53 feet. Weighing about the size of a standard pickup, it causes little damage to residential properties and will squeeze into most back yards.

This tree work, being done by employees John Saya and Keith Hooper at Cenotaph Park in Wallaceburg, Ontario was donated by Chatham-Kent Tree Care.

Greg Pilecki may have started out in the tree care industry as a self-described “weekend warrior” but he now runs a professional operation.


BALANCING

Where tree removal and cranes work best togetherThe techniques explained in this article apply to dismantling trees when rigging points can be established above the tree parts needing to be removed. The dismantling of trees using balancing techniques requires strong overhead rigging points and is ideally suited for crane assisted tree removal. However the techniques also apply when using the tree being removed or adjacent trees as balancing rigging anchor points.

The advantage of balancing limbs or large tree parts is that shock load is eliminated and, when done properly, so is uncontrolled swing or sway.

What is dangerous about swing or sway is that these forces not only introduce shock load but they also add the element of bending moment to shock load, both of which lead to dangerous situations. To balance, there must be an overhead anchor point strong enough to hold the anticipated load. The use of green log weight charts is very important when balancing.

To balance, all parts of the load must be held and in order to achieve this, two or more attachments to the load are needed. Even when “picking” or lifting a spar pole log, many have found it beneficial to choke the spar with two slings attached at opposite sides of the top in order to eliminate a twist or roll of spar when it is lifted. This concept becomes more complex when the limb to be lifted is a large lateral branch. It is important that all of the balancing slings are attached to strong enough material to hold the loads estimated, and that the slings have ratings strong enough as well. (See image 1.)

To balance there must be an overhead anchor point that is centre of the load of the piece being balanced. The centre of the load is determined by forming an imaginary shape around the section to be balanced and dividing or splitting the section in half and above this dividing point is where you want to establish the rigging point. (See image 2.)

Once a rigging point is established above the centre of the load then the attachment of the balancers is required. In order to achieve balance the legs or slings must be attached to the tree and rigging line or crane. It is best if these slings or legs are adjustable. The more adjustable they are, the easier and more effectively a load can be balanced. This is why rope slings used with adjustable prussics are preferred to webbing or wire rope choker slings.

The load is balanced by attaching the slings to the pieces to be removed. The main or first sling should attach to the heaviest and largest part of the load; then other slings are attached to this main sling using a prussic style attachment. Once all of the slings are attached and pre-tensioned to ensure even loading, the piece is ready for cutting. The limb or tree section is prepared for removal by pre-tensioning the load and holding it in this pre-tensioned state prior to cutting the release cuts. It is also important as always when rigging to have a tag line attached as well. (See image 3.)

Before performing the release cuts, a final check should be made to ensure that the lead of the rigging or crane line is hanging completely plumb or in the direction of the cutter.

If the balanced piece is cut with the lead in this position, the piece will swing back and ram the worker or tree. Blue or yellow is best, because when the lead is angled in these ways prior to the release then the piece will swing away or simply hang beside the tree worker or tree. (See image 4.) Failing to assess the lead direction could result in a battering ram being created which could send the balanced piece on a collision course into the tree worker, tree or aerial device.

The most effective method of cutting free a balanced limb is to use a miss-match cut. This is where the two cuts are made that are staggered one above and/or below the other. The cuts are placed in the part of the stem that has neither tension nor compression; the miss-match can allow the limb to be prepared for separation without the cutter being exposed to a sudden reaction or release. (See image 5.)

Before performing the release cuts a final check should be made to ensure that the lead of the rigging or crane line is hanging completely plumb or angling in the direction of the cutter.

Image 1: it is important that all of the balancing slings are attached to strong enough material to hold the loads estimated, and that the slings have ratings strong enough as well.

Image 2: To balance there must be an overhead anchor point that is centre of the load of the piece being balanced.

Image 3: The limb or tree section is prepared for removal by pre-tensioning the load and holding it in this pre-tensioned state prior to cutting the release cuts. Picture shows an adjusted and balanced load.


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When only two legs are used in balancing it is referred to as simple balancing. When three or more legs are employed it is called sider leg balancing. The slings used to balance are attached to the lead of the rigging line exiting the rigging point. When a crane is used it is necessary to attach a primary sling from the hook and attach the balancer slings to the primary sling hanging from the hook. (See image 6.)

Once the piece is cut and released by the tag line it should drift slightly away from the cutting location, smoothly and under control — no swing, sway or drop. This is a good balanced outcome.

In order to balance one must use a device that both lifts and lowers, such as a crane or GRCS (Good Rigging Control System). Both of these tools allow a load to be lifted and lowered with ease.

Balancing is a skill that is best done after watching, learning, training and practice and many of the important aspects of this technique are not possible to put in print and rather are best shown and explained in a practical format.

Image 4: failing to assess the lead direction could result in a battering ram being created which could send the balanced piece on a collision course into the tree worker, tree or aerial device.

Image 5: the miss-match cuts allow the limb to be prepared for separation without the cutter being exposed to a sudden reaction or release.

Image 6: when a crane is used it is necessary to attach a primary sling from the hook and attach the balancer slings to the primary sling hanging from the hook.

NEWS BRIEFS

Trees boost food security in AfricaDietary diversity associated with tree coverageAn African study found children living in areas of Africa with heavy tree cover tend to have more nutritious diets implying forests play a key role in food security.

“Boosting production of such energy-rich crops as rice, maize and wheat is often seen as essential to achieving global food security, but if this comes at the expense of forests, this might actually undermine nutritional security.”

Research shows African children in areas surrounded by trees have higher dietary diversity and more fruit and vegetable consumption. Dietary diversity increases with tree cover. It seems, in heavily treed areas, children have bet-ter diets. However, when forest cover increases above 45 per cent the trend reverses.

For more information: http://blog.cifor.org/21069/study-highlights-link-between-tree-cover-and-nutrition-in-children#.Ut1D6UmEjIU

AFTERMATH

Dealing with Toronto’s 2013 Christmas ice-stormOn December 21, 2013, Toronto was hit by the largest ice storm in the city’s history. At one point, 300,000 customers were without power. By the 23rd, a request was made to the U.S. for aid. It wasn’t until January 1 that all power was restored.

Toronto Hydro has two internal forestry workers, who were fully engaged with up to 12 contractor crews and 40 city crews working on tree pruning/removal. Crews came from Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Enwin and Manitoba and 60 skilled tradespeople from neighbouring utilities.

At this point, there is no way to know the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Toronto Forestry said, “A full assessment of the structure and condition of the city’s urban forest was last conducted in 2008 and 2009. The next study of the overall urban forest is planned to take place in four to five years. The costs involved in a canopy study are significant and the expense cannot be justified to perform a study at a reduced frequency. Our focus for future canopy studies is to track the growth of the urban forest canopy. We know that performing studies more frequently would not show substantial progress, as forest management is a long term exercise.”

During the ice-storm Toronto relaxed the process for dealing with hazardous trees to ensure there were no unnecessary delays. Property owners and arborists were encouraged to take photos of hazardous trees before removal and report them to the city to help maintain records of the loss. Permits are still needed for all other tree removals and the situation is expected to return to normal soon.

BY PAT K E R R


ACC IDENT REPORTS

BY PAT K E R R

Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is bringing in changes to their Occupational Health and Safety Act in response to employer complaints that the system was unfair and inconsistent. The new act had first, second and third reading in December. It is to be a three tiered system with education, order and penalty.

Nova Scotia reported no convictions to any tree service company in 2013 and no recent accidents in the industry.

Saskatchewan• In July, a worker was struck by a branch while pruning

trees. Wrist injury caused lost time from work.• In August, a worker was loading tree stumps. One log

fell on the worker’s finger removing the end of the finger.

• In September, there were two muscle strains and sprains causing lost time from work. The first worker sustained a wrist injury after using a chain saw and the second a strained shoulder when throwing a log into a chipper.

British Columbia• A close call happened on Vancouver Island/Coastal

B.C. on 2013-December. “A feller buncher operator was falling a dead Douglas fir tree that was 5 feet, 4 inches in diameter and about 105 feet tall. The operator had made several cuts into the butt and was pushing the dead tree when it broke off and fell over backwards, landing directly on the cab of the feller buncher. There was significant damage to the cab but the operator was not injured.”

• A worker suffered a fractured vertebrae, broken ribs and internal injuries when hand-falling old-growth timber on Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. in 2013-Nov. “While attempting to fall a small tree, a manual faller fell 21 feet from a rock ledge.”

• A worker suffered a broken leg, and crushed ankle when manual tree falling and bucking on Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. in 2013-Nov. “A hand faller was attempting to fall two limb-tied second-growth trees. When the two trees fell to the ground, the faller was struck by the butt end of one of the trees.”

• A worker suffered fractures to leg and upper body during manual tree falling and bucking on Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. in 2013-Nov. “A certified faller was falling in second-growth timber. An uprooted dead fir tree was leaning against a live standing hemlock tree, creating a falling difficulty. When the faller cut the hemlock tree, the top of the hung-up fir tree broke off. The standing portion of the fir tree also fell down and hit the faller.”

• B.C. also posted a new hazard alert: “Bucked log rolls down slope, kills young worker.”

This was a fatality from Aug 2013. “A young worker was bucking a log with his back against a steep bank. The middle of the log was suspended above the ground at about chest height. One end of the log was caught among other logs lying on the slope above and behind the young worker. These logs included one that the young worker had already bucked. As he was finishing his first cut on the suspended log, the two pieces dropped, causing the uphill logs to shift. The uphill log that the young worker had previously bucked rolled down the hill. It struck his back, pinning him against the log he had just cut. He died from his injuries. The alert contains a number of safety recommendations but the main items are:- Buck logs only when they are in a safe position. If a

log is not in safe position, wait until it is moved. - Do not buck below previously bucked logs. - The complete hazard alert can be found at worksafebc.

com.- Two other alerts on the same site of interest to tree

service workers are “Alternate means of escape from mobile equipment” from April 2013 and “Silviculture worker struck by tree and killed” from Sept 2012.

Ontario• Ontario reported two fatalities this season. These were

on Aug. 29, 2013, when a worker fell while cutting down a tree, and on Nov. 15, 2013, when a worker was struck by a tree.

• In 2013 Ontario also had nine critical injuries related to the tree service industry:

- On Aug. 8 a worker was chipping branches. When putting branches in a chipper, one of the branches broke and hit the worker’s arm.

- On Aug. 13 a worker was struck by piece of tree on the ground when it flew up after being hit by falling tree.

- On Aug. 26 a worker trimming a tree fell from bucket truck to the ground.

- On Sept. 25 a worker was cutting a tree. When he went to move the tree off the road the log caught and broke the worker’s leg.

- On Oct. 14: A tree uprooted and fell on worker. - On Oct. 31: A tree fell on a worker on a construction

site. - On Oct. 31: a large tree limb fractured a worker’s leg. - On Nov. 19: the top of tree fell and struck worker.- On Nov. 20: a worker’s spur and harness were twisted

resulting in leg fractures.--Non-critical Injuries in Ontario included:- Worker cut leg while operating a chainsaw, cutting

down trees.- Worker injured when rope attached to tree caught in

chipper went taut and struck worker’s leg.

- Worker was pinned against tree trunk causing minor injuries.

- Worker hit a metal screen that protects the tree trunk; the chain saw bounced back and injured the worker.

- Worker operating chainsaw when the chainsaw went through the branch and cut worker’s foot.

--Ontario also reviewed the safety information for working at heights and a new standard was created to prevent falls and improve safety. It is expected to be mandatory by the summer of 2014. It will likely include: proper inspection of equipment for damage; procedures for setting up; relocation and removing protecting equipment; hands-on training for use of fall-arrest equipment; and information on workers’ rights.Stakeholders are to be consulted in early 2014.

U.S. accidents—year-end reportU.S. accident reports for 2013 include 62 fatalities in forestry and logging, 13 in fruit and nut tree farming and another 30 in support for agriculture and forestry. Eight of the fatalities are related to transportation while 59 are related to contact with an object or equipment. Most of the remaining are slips and falls.

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) calculated the top 10 most frequent safety violations in the U.S. for 2013 and some apply to at least one aspect of tree service. • Lack of proper fall protection: Falls accounted for

36% of deaths. Fatal falls, slips, or trips took the lives of 668 workers in 2012, down slightly from 2011. About one in four occurred after a fall of 10 feet or less. Another one-fourth of the fatal fall cases occurred from falls of over 30 feet.

• Hazard communication: chemical hazard infor-mation must be transmitted from the employer to the employee. The term “chemical” includes the oil and gasoline used in equipment.

• Electrical wiring: Electrical accidents caused 9% of the fatal accidents in the U.S. in 2013.

• Machine guarding: The rule includes, one or more methods of machine guarding shall be provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks. Examples of guard-ing methods are: barrier guards, two-hand trip-ping devices, electronic safety devices etc.

Dunster & Associates Environmental Consultants Ltd.

Dr. Julian A. Dunster R.P.F., M.C.I.P. ISA Certified ArboristASCA Registered Consulting Arborist

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Tree failures causing death or injury are uncommon. When they do occur the incidents reported in the press are often referred to as Acts of God. An early definition is found in Great Britain in Tennant v. Earl of Glasgow (1864), 2 Macph. 22(H.L.): “circumstances which no human foresight can provide against, and of which human prudence is not bound to recognize the possibility, and which when they do occur, therefore, are calamities that do not involve the obligation of paying for the consequences that may result from them.”

The defining characteristics of an Act of God seem to be that the incident was :1. exclusively and directly due to the forces of nature without any evidence of human intervention;2. extraordinary in nature;3. unanticipated and unavoidable.

With regard to contemporary tree failure issues, the idea that Acts of God, if proven, “. . . do not involve the obligation of paying. . . “ might be an appealing defence against negligence. However, the court will examine the incident to determine if “. . . the occurrence was so phenomenal or of such magnitude as could not have been reasonably foreseen and guarded against, the capacity to foresee being based on previous experience and knowledge of nature’s law.”1

Tree failures often take place during adverse weather events, and past experience with tree failures is well documented in arboriculture literature. As a result there are training courses in tree risk assessment in many countries. In urban areas, where many trees have been planted in suboptimal conditions (such as lack of usable rooting space, root and trunk damage, girdling roots, poor quality plants), failure is clearly predictable, and unlikely to be exclusive to forces of nature.

Even when the trees were retained as part of a natural forest setting, edge trees and isolated remnant forests may well be less stable as a result of human interventions; again not exclusively forces of nature. In effect, tree failures in such areas are foreseeable events, not Acts of God, and plans to manage or

mitigate risk issues should be in place.

One of the basic tenets of tree risk assessment is that the likelihood of failure analysis is undertaken for ‘typical operating conditions’ whatever they are deemed to be in any one area. But, tree risk assessment is not a guarantee that the tree will not fail. Given enough force, all trees fail, so in a broad context, tree failures can be anticipated. Again, in a broad context, it is clear that removing a tree removes the potential risk, but that is not necessarily good management. In fact, such extreme risk aversion eliminates many other benefits derived from standing trees. A more reasoned management approach considers the costs and benefits, and adopts reasonable steps to anticipate what might happen when adverse weather occurs.

The situation might be different in rural and wilderness areas if it can be shown that there was no human intervention, and the incident was not foreseeable or preventable. Here again, the Act of God defence seems unlikely to be commonplace. Park areas with well defined, well used and maintained trails clearly have an opportunity to conduct a risk assessment of the trees. Certainly any tree visible from the trail and within striking distance could easily be assessed, and risk assessment training generally requires at least that level of care.

In more remote parks and certainly in wilderness areas, it is increasingly common to see notification that the area has not been risk assessed, and warnings to users to be aware of the potential for falling trees. While that may satisfy the need for some level of diligence in notifying users, it also recognises that risk issues exist. They have already been foreseen, but little or no work has been undertaken to identify or mitigate them. With the advent of widespread tree mortality due to insect attacks such as the Mountain Pine beetle, dead and falling trees number in the thousands, and vast areas of forest landscape, and the trails

in them, are now susceptible to tree failures. Death and injury incidents in such situations are well documented. Again, an Act of God defence may not work in such situations as the problem was recognised.

What this implies is that tree failures causing damage,

injury, or death will seldom be attributable to an Act of God. To be applicable, the incident would have to be so unusual, so unexpected and so sudden that no amount of reasonable care could have been deployed to prevent the accident. While it is not impossible for that to happen, it will be very rare. Examples would include lightning strikes. Even though it is possible to fit lightning protection systems to trees, it is extremely unlikely that this would be done for all trees.

Another example is sudden limb drop. It is known to occur is some species, so it is a foreseeable event at a broad scale. However, it is difficult if not impossible to accurately predict the phenomenon within any one tree. Similarly, hurricanes, tornadoes and

massive storms are known to cause widespread damage. The damage is foreseeable, but likely not preventable in all cases. A more likely scenario is that risk management protocols have been used to balance the need for additional prevention

measures (and their costs) against likelihood of harm actually occurring. If there is fault with the management policy, or its implementation, then that raises a whole new set of issues.

In summary, although tree failures may seem to be Acts of God to the layperson, there are several key aspects that make it unlikely. In urban areas, and many rural areas, the influence of humans on the trees is readily apparent. Tree failures are foreseeable, and in many of the incidents documented, could have been prevented had a risk assessment and risk management process been in place. It seems unlikely that God was responsible in most cases. Julian Dunster is not a lawyer and the above should not be construed as legal advice. If you have an issue requiring legal advice please consult a lawyer. Additional case law can be found in the book Arboriculture and the Law in Canada. Copies are available from Julian Dunster. www.dunster.ca

Tree failure — an Act of God?

What this implies is that tree failures causing damage, injury, or death will seldom be attributable to an Act of God.

1 Seneka v. LeDuc, 1985 CanLII 1465 (AB QB)


EVENTSGreat Careers ...

Great Jobs.Immediate Positions for Tree trimmers and Foremen, Utility Line Clearing and Residential/Commercial Arborists

Positions available in most areas across Canada

Davey Representatives & Contacts:

BC & AB Residential Tree Care Kevin Cassells (780) 699-2365 [email protected], Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton & Calgary

AB, BC, SK Utility & Line ClearingAlberta - Kevin Munchrath (780) 428-8733 [email protected] - Mark Turnbull (250) 755-1288 [email protected] SA - Steve Soderstrom (780) 428-8733 [email protected]

Ontario Residential Tree Care & Utility Line Clearing Mike Nash (905) 304-7359 Ext.2020 [email protected], Kitchener, Hamilton, Mississauga, Toronto, Muskoka, Ottawa, Niagara

The Davey Tree Expert Co. of Canada, Ltd.Ancaster, ON and Nanaimo, BC

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March 2014

Mar 4-7: Harrison Hot Spring, BCWomen’s Arboriculture Conferencewww.womenarborists.ca

April 2014

April 23-25: Thunder Bay, ON

Ontario Professional Foresters Association Annual Conference and General Meeting

www.opfa.ca

June 2014

June 19-20: Biltmore Estate, NC

Soils and Urban Trees Conference

www.ufis.ca/soil2014.php

August 2014

Aug 2-6: Milwaukee, WI

ISA International Conference and Trade Show

www.isa-arbor.com

Attention arborists: you don’t want to miss this event!

New mulcher head delivers fine mulch for good ground coverThe St George Company, through its SGC Attachments division, is the distributor for the Seven E Series line of premium carbide hammer mulchers for hydraulic excavators.

The Seven E Series mulchers feature a close ratio carbide hammer configuration and replaceable internal beater bars, resulting in long hammer life, lower required horse power and the production of fine “Class 1” mulch. Being able to produce Class 1 mulch will allow the Seven E Eeries mulchers to meet the most demanding mulching specifications. Class 1 mulch gives good ground cover and returns to nature quicker.

There are four model ranges in the Seven E Series, fitting hydraulic excavators from 5 to 40 tonnes, with mulcher widths of 3’, 4’, 5’ and 6’. Wood material up to a maximum 10” can be mulched. Fixed and Variable displacement hydraulic motors are offered.

The St George Company has been distributing mulchers for over 25 years and were the first to install a mulcher on an excavator in Canada. For more information: www.thestgeorgeco.com www.sgc-group.com

NEW PRODUCTS

North America’s first “green” hard hatCenturyVallen, a national supplier of safety and industrial MRO products and services, is now selling the world’s first “green” protective hard hat manufactured from sugarcane.

“It is our responsibility as a supplier and as a good corporate citizen to carry and distribute products and services that are beneficial to the environment,” said Rod Smith, vice president, Sales and Marketing, CenturyVallen. “The new V-Gard Green hard hat is a perfect example of such a product, and we are proud to distribute it.”

Unlike conventional hard hats manufactured from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sourced from petrochemicals, the V-Gard Green hard hat from MSA is manufactured using “green” HDPE (GHDPE) sourced from sugarcane ethanol.

Through the natural process of photosynthesis, sugarcane cultivation captures CO2 from the atmosphere, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For every ton of GHDPE produced, 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide are captured from the atmosphere.For more info. www.centuryvallen.com

The new “green” hard hat is made from products derived from sugarcane.

There are four model ranges in the Seven E Series mulcher heads, fitting hydraulic excavators from 5 to 40 tonnes.


NEW PRODUCTS

Mini-Jarraff rear lot, residential tree trimmerJarraff Industries’ new Mini-Jarraff Rear Lot Trimmer is specifically designed for residential and municipal tree trimming. A minimal footprint and compact profile allow the Mini-Jarraff to operate in areas where only climbing crews could go before. The self-leveling carrier allows it to travel on all types of terrain and eliminates the need for traditional outriggers.

The Mini-Jarraff can retract to 36-inch traveling width—small enough for standard gates and backyard fencing—bringing a new level of safety and productivity to rear lot and residential trimming operations. The remote controlled Mini-Jarraff offers a dynamic range of operation including a 360-degree rotation, rotating saw head for precision cutting and a 54-foot vertical reach.For more information: www.jarraff.com

The Mini-Jarraff operates in areas where only climbing crews could go before.

Chipping Drum for Bandit's Beast XP-Series Recyclers now available Bandit Industries now offers a chipping drum option that replaces the traditional Beast cuttermill. Designed for companies that want to exclusively chip with their Beast, the new drum essentially converts the Beast into a whole tree chipper. A variety of screens can be paired with the drum, creating a screened end product that can be tailored to meet various specifications for nearly any biomass energy application.

“Beast users can have the best of both worlds—high quality, screened dimensional wood chips from a traditional whole-tree chipping drum,” said Jason Morey, Bandit Industries sales manager. “Because of the large infeed opening in the Beast, it can better process large, bulky material that would be difficult for whole-tree chippers to handle.”

Chipping drums can be ordered on new Model 2680XP, 3680XP, and 4680XP Beast Recyclers, or retrofitted to older units. With more municipalities and companies around the world turning to biomass as an alternative to fossil fuels, the chipping drum option for Beasts can help users supply these lucrative markets.For more information: www.banditchippers.com

The chipping drum option from Bandit Industries can help tree service companies looking to tap into the biomass market.

Self-propelled stump cutter from RaycoNew from RAYCO is the T260 self-propelled stump cutter. The T260 is a compact powerhouse for high production stump removal. Easy to transport from one job to the next, the T260 weighs just 22,500lbs and has an overall width of 93”. A 260 hp Cummins QSB6.7 turbo diesel powers the T260 and it travels on a heavy duty steel track undercarriage with 2-speed final drives. The operator-friendly cabin is fully sealed and climate controlled with A/C, heat, LCD control panel, joystick controls, and a heated suspension seat. The T260 utilizes a 40” diameter by 3” thick cutter wheel with 36 Monster Tooth cutter tools to power its way through stumps. Cutting dimensions allow for 108” cutting width, 40” cutting depth, and 59” cutting height without repositioning. The cab tilts for easy access to critical hydraulic components. For more information: www.raycomfg.com

The T260 is powered by a 260 hp Cummins turbo diesel engine.


VISIT YOUR NEAREST AUTHORIZED DEALER LOCATION

NORTHLAND CHIPPER SALES, LTD.#104 - 20551 LangLey Bypass

LangLey, BC V3a 3e8pH: 1-800-665-2447

ARBORIST SUPPLY CO.30 artist View DriVeCaLgary, aB t3Z 3n4

pH: 403-240-3993

POWERTECH240 rODOLpHe Besner - Unit 40VaUDreUiL - DOriOn QC J7V 8p2

pH: 1-888-892-7777

Model 1590XP18” DIAMETER CAPACITYDRUM-STYLE BRUSH CHIPPER

As we look back on 30 years of success, we are extremely grateful to all the hard working professionals in the tree care industry that have made us the company we are today. the first Bandit chipper was built in 1983 by just six people in a small mid-Michigan shop; today that shop is part of 240,000 square feet of manufacturing space, staffed by a workforce of over 400 to produce nearly 50 different innovative wood processing machines sold all around the world.

We’ve stayed close to the professionals who use our equipment, asking for your input to make these machines even better. as a result you’ve helped us grow through the years, from hand-fed chippers to whole tree chippers, horizontal grinders, stump grinders, forestry mowers, and the expansion continues for 2013.

We couldn’t be more proud of this industry and the dedicated people who show up every day to suit up, rope in, climb, cut, chip, and grind – then get up early the next morning to do it all again. it’s a tough job, and we thank you for trusting us to help you do it. From everyone at Bandit industries, thank you for 30 great years. trust us when we say the best is yet to come.

30 years OFINNOVATION...

Made possible by partners like you.

Model 2250HYDROSTATIC DRIVE

STUMP GRINDER

NORTHLAND CHIPPER SALES, LTD.#104 - 20551 LANGLEY BYPASS

LANGLEY, BC V3A 3E8PH: 1-800-665-2447

ARBORIST SUPPLY CO.2222 33 AVE SW

CALGARY, AB T3Z 3N4PH: 1-888-240-3993

POWERTECH240 RODOLPHE BESNER- UNIT 40VAUDREUIL-DORION, QC J7V 8P2

PH: 1-888-892-7777

HEPBURN ENTERPRISES INC.7945 WILKES AVE

HEADINGLEY MB. R4H 1B4PH: 1-866-258-6078

WWW.HEPBURNENTERPRISES.COM

Tree Service Canada Magazine Issue #28 Spring 2014

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Transcript of Tree Service Canada Magazine Issue #28 Spring 2014